Dr. Satel and I did share some views. We agreed that the longer a patient stays in treatment, the more likely he is to avoid future criminal activity and drug use. Drug programs instead of incarceration can save a substantial amount of money for taxpayers that are usually burdened with the final cost. Numerous large-scale cost analyses reveal that every dollar spent on drug treatment saves between two dollars and seven dollars on law enforcement, corrections, health care, lost productivity, and welfare. In conclusion, Dr. Satel's views are interesting to read but not realistic. She is not sympathetic to the problem of drug addiction. She fails to realize that our country is based on laws that protect our individual rights, even drug addicts. We cannot threaten or place addicts in jail just because it may benefit them in the future....
